As the schools gear up to reopen their gates for the students post the lockdown, the reopening itself has invited multiple reactions from all the strata of the society. While most are welcoming the government move, a section is still apprehensive, understandably so, given the disruption, the covid-19 pandemic has caused. As the protocols came into effect, schools and colleges were some of the first institutions to go under lockdown in the aftermath of the pandemic. While the absence of regular schooling had an impact on the traditional education method, this also opened the online vertical as a substitute during the testing times.
As the lockdown began, schools in Gurgaon were quick to adapt to the online learning module as a way to compensate for the loss of time and curriculum hours. In this regard, one must admit that the schools outperformed by maintaining a tight vigil and ensuring that the kids do not suffer due to the closure of schools.
The decline in daily covid-19 cases and a robust vaccination drive that is able to reach out to the farthest corners of the country, the central government has now allowed the schools to reopen. The decision to reopen the schools will depend on the outcome of the evaluation made by the state government. In this regard, the Haryana government has also issued a circular that allows the schools in Gurgaon to open effective July 16.
The schools are therefore putting arrangements to welcome the students back to the schools. The current order states that the schools will open in a phased manner. The schools will give safety measures their utmost importance before recalling all the students back to the classes. At first, the schools will open only for the senior classes. The school needs to ensure that there are no covid infection cases in the school. After this the schools are allowed to call the junior students to attend the classes in full capacity. The schools will maintain minimum human contact between students and teachers as a safety measure.
The schools in Gurgaon are leaving no stone unturned. This also calls for the parents to do the needful. The parents should educate and place adequate safety norms for the child before they start going back to the schools.
Opening schools in no condition means that there has to be any room available for laxity among kids. The parents must ask the kids to practice the best hygiene and maintain physical distance as much as possible. Regularly washing of hands and wearing a mask all the time should be a compulsory norm. The school should have strict measures to check the practice in application.
The child should be given a sanitiser to carry at all the times. This should become a pracrtice even if the school has made arrangements for the same. The child should be asked to use the sanitiser before entering an unknown place. This also applies, if the child is using a place, earlier used by someone else.
The lockdown has kept the students away from each other for more than a year now. As the news of schools reopening surfaced, it has made the students happy and excited. They are thrilled by the thought of spending quality time with friends and classmates. A normal call on their part.
Parents must thoroughly remind the child about maintaining social distance at school as well. They should also ask the child to not meet people in a large gathering. The parents should ask the child to come back home and not indulge in hanging outside after school hours.
The pandemic forced the children to stay inside homes for an abnormally long time. Not only has it impacted their normal behaviour, but showed signs of profound effect on their psychosocial well-being as well. Therefore the parents must help their children understand the new normal better by being their support system. Listen to them, indulge in light conversation once they are back for school. Not only will this help parents track their children, but it will also help them to gauge their mental state.
Covid-19 has been tough on all of us, but, mostly the children. Given the circumstances it is commendable how the schools in Gurgaon have braced the pandemic to come out winners against the odds.
